Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah will be on campus today to speak about the ongoing conflict over land in the Middle East and offer students a new perspective on the conflict.
Beshara Kehdi, co-president of the Arab Student Union, said he hoped Abunimah’s visit would raise awareness about the current situation in the Middle East.
“We don’t hear much dialogue about the Middle East on campus,” he said. “We thought it would be good to hear from someone who’s posing solutions and could spur that dialogue, because what most people get from the media is not the whole story.”
An advocate for the Palestinian cause, Abunimah believes that the most feasible and equitable solution would place Israelis and Palestinians on equal footing without creating new political boundaries.
Friday’s presentation, “One or Two States?,” will address what Kehdi calls a quasi-apartheid that has emerged in Israel and the West Bank, the difficulties inherent in a two-state solution, and the implications of Israel’s continued blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Israel initiated the blockade in mid-2007, after voters in the Palestinian Territories — which include the West Bank and Gaza — elected Hamas into power. The blockade has placed tight restrictions on how much food, building materials and other products can enter the Strip, drawing much attention from human rights activists and jeopardizing the lives of the 1.5 million people who reside there, Kehdi said.
With the economy at a standstill, the majority of the population now depends on aid from the United Nations.
“A lot of people think the Middle East conflict is all about religion, but at this point I think it’s more economic,” said University student Alex Ruvinsky, a political science major who plans to attend the talk.
For example, in a country where all non-Arab citizens serve in the military, many employers require job applicants to have completed their military service in order to be considered. The result has been widespread employment discrimination and increasing economic disparity even for areas not affected by the blockade.
“These are things that people don’t like to talk about because they end up labeling Israel a lawbreaker,” Kehdi said. “But we have to criticize it to make the situation better. Simply nodding our heads to whatever Israel does is only perpetuating the stagnation.”
Kehdi said Israel has more than 20 laws in effect that discriminate against non-Jewish Arabs — something he hopes Abunimah’s presentation will address.
In his 2006 book, “One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse,” Abunimah proposed a one-state solution providing equal rights for Palestinians and Jews in Israel.
“Everyone seems to be on one side or the other, and it’s rare to hear anyone advocate for a solution that would benefit both,” Ruvinsky said.
Abunimah has appeared on radio and TV shows in the U.S. and abroad, including NPR, CNN and the BBC. He now researches social policy at the University of Chicago and directs The Electronic Intifada, an independent news Web site that he launched in 2001.
“I hope that my event will give students a chance to discuss these issues in a respectful atmosphere and to feel their voices are heard,” Abunimah said in an e-mail.
The presentation is sponsored by the Arab Student Union, Multicultural Center, Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, Office of Multicultural Academic Success, Palestine Freedom Project and the Al-Nakba Awareness Project.
LECTURE
What: Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah lectures on the Middle East land conflict
When: 1 to 3 p.m. today
Where: 115 Lawrence
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